Sarawak minister says 98pc of teaching staff fully vaccinated against Covid-19

KUCHING, Aug 26 — Sarawak is close to achieving 100 per cent Covid-19 vaccination for the 10,133 teachers, assistant teachers and registered preschool caregivers statewide.

Sarawak Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said a total of 9,937 teachers, assistant teachers and caregivers at pre-schools and childcare centres have completed their vaccination so far.

She said they represent 98 per cent of the total 10,133 staff registered with her ministry.

“My ministry has worked closely with Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC), vaccinations centres at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching, Urban Transformation Centre and Bangunan MAJMA here in carrying out the vaccination programmes for teachers, assistant teachers and caregivers,” she said when responding to a concern expressed by lawyer and social activist Voon Shiak Ni this morning.

Fatimah said her ministry is also appealing to parents and guardians of young children to go for vaccination to further reduce the risk of infection.

“It is indeed everyone’s responsibility to ensure the safety of our children,” she said.

Voon had earlier disclosed that she received a call from an owner of a childcare centre who wanted to know the legal implications of terminating the employment of a worker who has repeatedly refused to be vaccinated for Covid-19.

“The employer had sought my legal opinion on the matter and I told him that to date there are no laws that forbid a mandatory vaccination requirement for employees to be fully vaccinated.

“There is no precedent yet set by court on the issue as this is the first time the nation has to cope with the crisis of the ragging pandemic which has lasted for nearly two years and has no signs of going away so soon,” Voon said.

The SDMC recently announced that only employees who have fully completed their Covid-19 vaccination can work.

According to Voon, this means that Covid-19 vaccination is now mandatory for workers in Sarawak.

She added that employers are finding themselves in a legal bind as they are facing some workers who refuse to be vaccinated despite the latest announcement.